That led police to suspect that they had ended up arresting the Phantom Killer. Another rumour even persists that the killings stopped as the Phantoms family themselves kept the killer captive after finding out what he had done. Rumours swirled around Texarkana following the horrific acts that the Texas Rangers and other law enforcement officers knew exactly who the Texarkana Phantom was. Although never charged with anything in relation to the Texarkana Moonlight Murders Youell Swinney was given a life sentence. In total over three hundred possible suspects were questioned, one by one they were let go without charge. Youell Swinney always denied being the Texarkana Phantom. Youell Lee Swinney (February 9, 1917 – September 15, 1994) was the only major suspect in the Phantom Killer case in Texarkana in 1946, although he was never officially charged with any of the murders. Latent prints were retrieved from the scene including one from the steering wheel. Because of the unreliability of her testimony and the fact that she could not be forced to appear as a witness against her husband, law enforcement officials declined to prosecute. Investigators wanted to believe they were being told the truth by Peggy Swinney. Police may have had no name for the man who was now sending a wave of terror throughout Texarkana but the press soon did. Others believed it was foolhardy to dismiss the lastest attacks links to the previous ones. Swinney was a known thief with a history of assault and auto-theft. Here the case set for three days until eventually it was investigated which led to the police being contacted. The Texas Rangers came in to investigate, including the famous M. T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas. Parts of her story certainly at face value seemed to include details that hadn’t been fully divulged to the press. The farmhouse the couple called home was located in Miller County, Arkansas in a remote area some twelve miles from Texarkana. A former resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana and longtime resident of the Florida Keys, Brandt committed suicide in September 2004 after he stabbed his wife, Teresa "Teri" Brandt, and decapitated and severely mutilated his niece, Michelle Jones, removing her heart. No motive was determined for the killings, no evidence was left behind by the perpetrator. “Why did I take my own life? You want me for more than stealing a car!”. Youell Lee Swinney (February 9, 1917 – September 15, 1994) was the only major suspect in the Phantom Killer case in Texarkana in 1946, although he was never officially charged with any of the murders. Despite the age difference, they found nothing to suggest anyone was concerned by it. Despite debate amongst locals that the two attacks may be related for the most part life went on as usual. According to all known records available the prints found at the Starks home were not positively matched to those at the Martin-Booker scene. There was also evidence Betty Jo Booker had been raped. Two of the lead investigators in the case, Max Tackett and Tillman Johnson, believed for the remainder of their lives that Swinney was guilty of the murders. Tackett along with his partner Tillman Johnson decided to wait and see who came back to the vehicle. But as they drove him to the station, the young man asked a strange question for someone accused of car theft: "Will they give me the chair?" Well, when you [have] committed two double murders you would too,” Doodie wrote. A former Texarkana resident, Martin now lived in Kilgore, Texas and was only visiting for the weekend with his parents. A police officer named Max Tackett soon gave the investigation new hope. They also realised the attack on Jimmy Hollis and Mary Jeanne Larey back in February was highly likely to be the work of the same maniac. Furthermore, they found no one had any desire to cause them harm, with neither having any known enemies. On February 22, 1946, twenty-four-year-old Jimmy Hollis and his nineteen-year-old girlfriend Mary Jeanne Larey headed up to a secluded spot on Richmond Road at about 11:45 pm. Gonzaullas issued the following bulletin as one of his first acts: “Person or persons unknown, for the murder of Betty Jo Booker and Paul Martin, on or about April 13, 1946, in Bowie County, Texas. A dark figure peered through the window. Although further notes were discovered refuting the claims made in his other letters law enforcement took the decision to investigate further. For the most part, both Jimmy’s and Mary’s stories were the same, however, there was one detail that differed, and an important one in narrowing down the hunt for the attacker. On searching the hotel room were Youell Swinney and his wife Peggy had been staying a shirt was found which was of particular interest. Somehow Katy was still alive. The Texarkana Phantom Moonlight Murders, on which the movie The Town That Dreaded Sundown was based upon, were never solved. He was linked to the murders by statements from his wife, Peggy, who refused to testify against him in court. Was Youell Swinney The Texarkana Phantom? On his return to Texarkana, Tackett arrested Youell Swinney after a brief chase at the Arkansas Motor Coach bus station. On the evening of May 3, 1946, thirty-six-year-old Virgil Starks sat down in his chair to listen to his favourite show on the radio at 9 pm. Despite the change in modus operandi the murder of Earl McSpadden was never solved and thus cannot be entirely discounted. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It was discovered the print didn’t belong to either of the victims or anyone who had been known to have used the vehicle. The newspapers that covered the case also showed little concern, seemingly confident this was a one-off horrific incident. Following the confession, however, Peggy made conflicting statements and changed her story. He had been shot four times, once in the neck, once in the shoulder, once in the hand, and a final shot in the face. In the letter, she states she lied in accusing Youell Swinney and only did so after repeated questioning. His prints, like hundreds of other possible suspects, were checked against those taken from the Starks crime scene and various latent prints found at Spring Lake Park. Despite satisfying the demand the attacker went back on his promise and struck Jimmy Hollis down into a crumpled heap with a blow to the head from the base of his pistol. Presley is a Texarkana resident and his Uncle Bill Presley was Sheriff of Bowie County and lead investigator on the murders. Locals were also largely unconcerned, of the belief, the attacker was someone passing by as opposed to being one of their own. Youell Lee Swinney went to jail for stealing cars, but many believed he was the Phantom Killer. This to me points to the fact they had nothing within their files which could rule out a connection. Fighting through the exceeding agony of her ordeal Katy crawled towards the door in hope of escaping the same fate as her husband. They both show that the police at the time believed they had the killer - Youell Swinney and his wife. The case remains unsolved, and physical evidence is virtually nonexistent today. Paul Martin’s car, a 1946 Ford Club Coupe, was finally traced. Investigators couldn’t be certain the details Peggy gave were genuine or information she had garnered from her conversations with different members of law enforcement. The murders sent the town of Texarkana into a state of panic throughout the summer. They were both found within three miles from Martin's Ford coupe, which was parked outside Spring Lake Park, with the keys still in it. Had they been lured or forced to the location? The blows to the skull he endured were performed with such ferocity that his skull was fractured. Upon checking his room police made a surprising discovery, a note in which he claimed he had been responsible for the Texarkana Phantom Moonlight Murders. On April 14, another double murder occurred. In June of that year, police arrested Youell Lee Swinney, 29, for stealing cars. At 12 pm, six hours after Paul Martin’s body was found, the worst fears of every one were realised when the body of Betty Jo was also located behind a tree in woods near Fernwood. Some officers argued the ammo used in the latest attack was from a .22 semi-automatic shotgun as opposed to the .32 calibre revolver used in the previous Texarkana Phantom Murders. More importantly, he had also left several fingerprints and bloody palm prints throughout the home. Whatever happened to the Phantom, it’s extremely unlikely he suddenly stopped killing as serials very rarely stop on their own. However, other than a file stating palm prints found couldn’t be compared to fingerprints no mention is made in the FBI files about the results of the fingerprint comparisons. Youell was born on March 9, 1917. Swinney was a known criminal with a history of counterfeiting and auto-theft. [*] Youell Swinney is considered the prime suspect for the moonlight murders. Youell L. Swinney (March 9, 1917, Arkansas – September 15, 1994, Dallas, Texas) was the only major suspect in the Phantom Killer case in Texarkana, Texas and Texarkana, Arkansas in 1946, although he was never officially charged with any of the murders.. Swinney was a known thief with a history of assault and auto-theft. The Weaver family quickly alerted authorities of their discovery. On May 7, 1946, just days after the Starks attack a body was found on railroad tracks some sixteen miles outside of Texarkana. Bloodhounds were brought in the following morning and picked up the scent of the perpetrator. One reason was Swinney’s wife because she named her husband as the killer. Instead, she was confronted with the ghastly site of her husband slouched in his chair, both covered in blood. With a white cloth hood covering his face, with rough holes cut out for his eyes and mouth, and a pistol in hand the figure made his first demand: Worried they would be shot dead if they failed to comply Jimmy and Mary did as they were ordered. However, she refused to testify against him, and he was never convicted. "Phantom Killer's last alleged victim shot to death 70 years ago today", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Youell_Swinney&oldid=1002373527, Pages using infobox criminal with known for parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 January 2021, at 03:17. Found almost two-mile away from where Paul was discovered, Betty Jo had died from two gunshot wounds after a struggle (there was also evidence Paul too had put up a fight). Bloodstains and drag marks were located nearby. In the weeks following the murder of Virgil Starks several suspects were taken in for questioning in relation to the murders. The young couple had spent the evening at the movies on a double date with Jimmy’s brother but after dropping off their companions it was time to be alone. The female victim found on the back seat was Polly Ann Moore, she was seventeen-years-old. On November 5, 1948, the body of eighteen-year-old Henry Booker Tennison was found in Fayetteville, Arkansas. With the Texarkana Phantom Murders now very much public knowledge doors that were once left unlocked were bolted shut, a happy greeting to a stranger was now replaced with a suspicious glance, and at nightfall the sounds of children still playing was replaced with an eerie silence. 1946 a motorist was driving along Bowie County Highway 67 when he spotted a vehicle parked in an unusual spot along the side of the road. The victim was soon identified as seventeen-year-old Paul Martin. His police record included multiple charges for car theft, burglary, assault and counterfeiting. Peggy Swinney informed officers that the car belonged to her husband Youell Swinney but she was driving it as he was in Atlanta, Texas. Less than a month after the murder of Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker fear within the area would be intensified. Youell Lee Swinney, son of a local lay minister, had been in trouble with the law since the time he was a teen-ager. She recanted the claim several times in the weeks following but each time she would then change her mind and once again blame her husband for the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, each time with a slightly different tale to tell. A young couple was killed by an unknown gunman whilst parked in a lovers lane spot near Dania Beach, Florida. After departing from the train she then got in a cab to the Brackenridge Hall where she was staying, arriving at around 9 pm. The investigation determined that Polly and Richard had started dating six weeks prior to their murders. Two of the lead investigators in the case, Max Tackett and Tillman Johnson, … Swinney's wife offered detectives incriminating tales and described one of the murders. Others, who believed the man was actually murdered started to ponder whether he was another victim of the Texarkana Phantom. Paul's body (found at around 6:30 a.m.) wa… When twenty-one-year-old Peggy Swinney returned to the vehicle from a nearby store she was arrested. The day before he had arranged to collect fifteen-year-old Betty Jo Booker from a dance where she was playing the saxophone for a local band called the Rhythmaires. 138656692, ; Maintained by Barbara Campbell (contributor 47122870) Unknown. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. [4] Investigation into his involvement in the murders eventually faded. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Youell Lee Swinney (9 Mar 1917–15 Sep 1994), Find a Grave Memorial no. The early investigation soon discovered that Paul Martin hadn’t been alone the previous night. In terms of possible evidence, this was nothing compared to the bombshell his wife would drop. A frantic search for Betty Jo Booker began. Been from Texarkana wasn’t the sole reason that Virginia is considered by some to be a possible victim of the Texarkana Phantom. Detectives soon found evidence that the teenager had been in Texarkana on the night Virgil Starks was murdered and his wife Katy attacked. The couple offered up their account of events to the police. Some believe the change was caused as this attack was unplanned, possibly because McSpadden had information on the murders, however, this has never been backed up with any proof. The young couple had spent the evening at the movies on a double date with Jimmy’s brother but after dropping off their companions it was time to be alone. Peggy even confessed that she had been with her husband on at least one occasion, although she took no part in the attacks themselves. He ordered Jimmy to remove his trousers. The most conclusive proof for Youell Swinney not being the Texarkana Phantom are the fingerprints. Her claims would already be taken with a pinch of salt by many due to her being a criminal but the altering stories she told would only exaggerate the problem. The second bullet entered through her jaw dislodging several teeth before the bullet lodged itself under her tongue. On closer approach, the passing samaritan instead saw the vehicle contained the bodies of a male and female covered in blood. HB Tennison’s prints were taken and checked against the latent prints found at the Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker crime scene. Tackett soon found the reason Youell Swinney was in Atlanta, Texas was because he was attempting to sell a stolen car. There’s nothing in the [killer’s] psychology… that [goes against it being] a teenager.” Swinney’s wife confessed that he was the murderer and later retracted her claims, whereas Doodie confessed in his suicide note. The fact her stories were so inconsistent was the first major stumbling block. On June 28 Tackett located a vehicle stolen just before the murder of Virgil Starks in a Texarkana parking lot. Arrested suspect Youell Swinney, third from left, surrounded by Arkansas state troopers Charley Boyd, second from left, and Max Tackett, fourth from left, … Another problem came in the form of a letter Peggy Swinney wrote just after her first confession intended for her parents but intercepted by police. Again there is no proof that this was true. Not only did she come from Texarkana but she personally knew three of the teenage victims. Youell Swinney was born on February 17, 1917 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, USA. The rumours were helped by the fact Sheriff Jim Anderson openly questioned the coroner’s verdict. One thing we do know is that the Starks murders are continuously mentioned throughout the FBI files on the Texarkana Phantom Moonlight Murders. However, Swinney failed to alter his ways and spent most of his remaining days in and out of jail for theft and counterfeiting before his death in 1994. Circumstantial evidence sent Swinney to prison for car theft. On paper, some of the details she gave did give her statement more validity. Witnesses saw the two leave the party together at around 2 am but Betty Jo Booker hadn’t made it home. Like Betty Jo Booker’s rape, the fingerprint and information about bullet casings found at the scene, .32 calibre as found at the Griffin-Moore crime scene, were kept from the press. https://www.pressreader.com/usa/texarkana-gazette/20131128/282041914920622, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth292695/m1/3/zoom/?q=%22richard%20griffin%22%20%22polly%20ann%20moore%22&resolution=3&lat=5577.000000000001&lon=2981.999999999999, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48469553?searchTerm=%22virgil+starks%22, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth132677/m1/6/zoom/?q=%22Lawrence%20o%20Hogan%22&resolution=3&lat=3589.5000000000005&lon=2812.5, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Virginia_Carpenter. He had been dead before a train had cut off his arm and leg due to a deep cut across the forehead. The police were called and Katy was immediately rushed to the hospital. It was a name that stuck, and in some ways only helped to build the rising hysteria within the community. After some hesitation, and Mary’s pleas to do as he was asked, Jimmy took off his pants. A flashlight belonging to the killer was also found near the window from which he performed his horrendous act. The attacker once again had alluded investigators. The cab driver stated he had seen Virginia in the company of two young men who seemed to know her when he dropped her off on the night she was last seen. The FBI files on the case couldn’t confirm this as her body had already been embalmed before they could complete their investigation. Authorities tended to believe Jimmy’s description, with some even pondering the idea that Mary may have actually known the true identity of the masked terror, a claim she denied until the day she died. Both had said the man was around six foot tall with Jimmy saying he was a white man, Mary though was adamant the attacker was black. During the reporting on the most recent attack, the murders of Betty Jo Booker and Paul Martin, the killer was labelled as The Phantom by the Texarkana Gazette. Several suspects were detained on suspicion of the murders of Elaine and Lawrence but all released without charge. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.This does not influence opinions within any content. A 2014 book, The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders by Dr. James Presley claims that Swinney is the culprit of all five Phantom attacks. Suddenly, seeing the danger her life was in, Mary took the decision to make a bolt for safety. Tamam Shud – The Mystery Of The Somerton Man, Who Killed Elizabeth Short?- Black Dahlia Suspects. The cab driver returned the next day to deliver Virginia’s cases which he had collected for her from the train station as they had arranged the previous night. Youell L Swinney passed away on September 15, 1994 at age 77. The killer had managed to make his way into the home through the kitchen, muddy footprints showing he had searched the upstairs and living room before exiting through the front door and across the road hunting for the woman he had just shot. Swinney was a known criminal with a history of counterfeiting and auto-theft. It seems the argument was never fully settled, even to this day. Officially no connection was made between the murders of Richard Griffin and Polly Ann Moore to the assaults on Jimmy Hollis and Mary Jeanne Larey. He was linked to the crimes by detailed descriptions of the Booker-Martin murders from his wife and accomplice, Peggy, who refused to testify against him in court. The man’s identity was Earl Cliff McSpadden. Despite the best attempts of the community to stay safe another attack was just weeks away. They could find no reason the teens would have been at Spring Park Lake. As she did so she suddenly heard the assailant attempting to make his way through the very same door. As he sat listening to his radio show little did Virgil know that a figure had appeared stood at the window behind him. On April 14, 1946, which was Palm Sunday that year, G H Weaver and his family were driving along North Park Road when they spotted a man laying on the shoulder of the road. Subsequently, her story changed, and she married Swinney. Ballistics checks on weapons Tennison had access to also came back negative. Katy and Virgil Starks had been unaffected by the horrors and hysteria filling the nearby city with dread, sadly this was about to change in a horrific way. His chosen method was to poison himself with cyanide of mercury. Some believe that man was Youell Swinney, but if it was they certainly spent a lot of time and effort following up on other suspects, including eliminating the fingerprints of hundreds of individuals, long after Swinney was safely locked up. Peggy Swinney also refused to testify against her husband in court, and under law, she couldn’t be forced to. They believed this was the reason behind the slight change in modus operandi and location. Based on conversations James Presley had with his uncle, both men believed that Youell Swinney was the killer. Police failed to trace the two men, however, two other men quickly came under suspicion. Youell Lee Swinney (March 9, 1917, Arkansas - September 15, 1994, Dallas, Texas) was the only major suspect in the Phantom Killer case in Texarkana, Texas and Texarkana, Arkansas in 1946, although he was never officially charged with any of the murders. [1] Two of the lead investigators in the case, Max Tackett and Tillman Johnson, believed for the remainder of their lives that Swinney was guilty of the murders. The identities of the occupants were soon discovered. In 1947, Youell Swinney was jailed for life as a repeat offender for car theft but was released on appeal in 1973. Now on the ground, Mary cried in horror as her deplorable attacker sexually assaulted her with the barrel of his gun. Many claimed the man on the tracks was the Texarkana Phantom himself, he had simply taken his own life, unable to live with what he had done any longer. Swinney had a history of getting in trouble. One of the shots was to the face, the second went through her chest, with some reports saying the bullet hit her heart. Mary had sustained several bumps and bruises but Jimmy was far worse. Max Tackett and Tillman Johnson believed they had caught the killer and by all accounts, they continued with that belief until their deaths. As she picked up the receiver and began to ring the intruder unloaded two gunshots from the same window he had executed her husband Virgil.